Monday Morning Mix-Up 1/18/10

Today be sure to pop over and check out a guest post I did for my friend Hallee at Hallee the Homemaker. Gregg is home from Afghanistan for a short time, so Hallee asked a few people to do guest posts while they get away for a weekend together, and I was happy to help.

Have you ever thought of starting your own blog? If so, you’re a little crazy, but you’ve probably figured out that you can’t get far before you need to choose a theme, which basically is a design for how you want your web pages to look and what you want them to be able to do. If you’re close to that stage by any chance, think about using the Thesis Theme for Word Press.It is perfect for anyone from the most technical, down to someone like me, who is totally lost around the web and learning as I go. You don’t have to know how to mess with CSS in order to make this work (if you haven’t heard of CSS, you are SO lucky), and the newer versions have more upgrades that make it even easier to use. It’s automatically set up for SEO (that’s “Search Engine Optimization” for all you normal people), so Google and other search engines can find you. This is just something to think about if any of this applies to you, and yes, I’d get a small commission if you choose to buy from that link. (Thank you!)

Be sure to listen to my friend, Ann Marie, as she’s interviewed by Kevin Brown from Liberation Wellness. She does a great job in getting more of the truth out about Real Food, and I think you’ll also find it interesting to hear about how and why she started Real Food Media.

OK, Reader Friends, especially any indoor herb-growers, I need your help! Is it normal to have a crazy amount of fruit flies by your herbs? Also, my rosemary, oregano, and parsley are doing fine, but my basil and cilantro don’t seem to be growing much at all. Any ideas why? (Maybe it’s just that they would rather be outside in some nice warm and sunny weather like the rest of us.)

Here’s the First Blogger Face-off!Katie had such a fun idea and the first face-off features two of my very favorite bloggers, Ren & Jo-Lynne. You’ll love this quote from Ren: “I won’t sacrifice health for taste, but I won’t sacrifice taste without a fight!” The story of my life for the past 6 years as I’ve converted one recipe after another. Most Real Food tastes better anyway (like BUTTER!), but sometimes it takes our palates a while to recover from the junk.

The comments in last Monday’s post got me going on the issue ofiPhones and radiation, and Ellen wrote a great post about cell phone dangers. This makes me thankful that I’m not in the habit of using my cell phone too much (for phone calls anyway), and when I do, I usually use the speaker phone. This is also why we don’t plan to give up our land-line, although I hear cordless phones are an issue, too? I do have this new iPhone as you know, though, and while I don’t use it a lot for the phone, I’ve always got the thing nearby to check my to-do lists. I also use it for an alarm clock in the morning. Ellen’s article said not to sleep with it near you, and I’m wondering how far away is far enough? Oh and laptops can give off radiation? Dang it, now I’m really in trouble. There’s always plenty to worry about isn’t there?

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Comments

Hi, Kelly! Fun to read your guest post. You got some great advice from all the real food bloggers.

RE: the fruit flies. I don’t know why or if it’s normal, but here’s what I do for fruit flies. (They like all my cultured foods – kefir, water kefir, Kombucha, etc. ) Put out a cup, any old cup, and fill it with 1 cup of Kombucha or raw apple cider vinegar. Put a drop of dish soap in it – it breaks the natural surface tension of water so when the fruit flies land on the beverage to drink it, they sink down and drown. It totally, totally works! I’ve read in places to put a piece of plastic wrap over the top and poke holes in it, but this is not necessary at all (it would trap them, but because they’re drowned they’re not going anywhere). I put this cup right in a trouble area and in about a day, the trouble’s all gone.

Interesting that you should say that about certain herbs not growing. My chives, parsley, and thyme are looking beautiful. However, my basil isn’t growing very well and even has some black-looking stems. My cilantro is near death..it’s more brown than it is green. I’ve heard that cilantro is difficult to grow, but I have no excuse as to why my basil is looking so awful. Maybe those herbs just do less this time of year. I don’t really know, but that reasoning would make me feel better at least!

Kel – The basil and cilantro need LOTS of sun and warmth. More than the other plants. Maybe put them in a sunnier, warmer spot.

I don’t normally try to grow basil in the winter. It dies in my garden (even HERE where it’s relatively warm all winter!) because it’s too cool out and I don’t have a sunny, warm enough spot in my house.

Cilantro is also very finicky. Mine usually dies, even in the garden, because I don’t coddle my plants.

Also, you can add a little compost to your pots — it works as a fertilizer to give them a boost.

Basil and cilantro like warm weather. I’ve had great success with the other herbs you mention, even some in the winter. I bet when things warm up you’ll see some life from the basil. I don’t know much about the cilantro. And fruit flies? Maybe it’s your soil they’re drawn to. Is it too moist?

Hi Kelly – to give any indoor plants a perk, put a layer of your used coffee grounds over the soil. Then water. I’ve done this and…WOW! They love it. Also the rich dark brown color usually makes my plants look nicer than whatever they currently look like!

Hi Kelly!
I do not have a green thumb at all…but I do have experience with the “fruit flies” around the plants. They are probably fungus gnats. You can google it and find plenty or info on them. The love the wet soil in your potted plants and they lay eggs in it. The larva like to feed on the plant roots.
I tried a few different things…but my plants didn’t survive But like I said I do not have a green thumb.
I can’t remember all the things I tried…but I do remember sprinkling ground cinnamon on top of the soil. I think it helped some.
Good luck!

Great to hear that the tide is turning on saturated fat! I keep telling people but they’ve been so indoctrinated through the 70s, 80s, and 90s that they don’t really believe me. Our family’s health results speak for themselves, though, so they’re starting to listen. Studies will help too!

Wardeh — thanks for the tip on fruit flies, I still have some around too! Now I can make them go away.

Hey Kelly~
We’ve also had the success that Wardeh has had with the dish soap in a shallow dish or cup.
As to computers giving off radiation we’ve purchased a couple of salt lamps from the hfs (I’ve also seen them at our Whole Foods) and have them in the rooms where we have the computers. Supposedly they interrupt the radiation or some such technology that I am completey unqualified to discuss I sure hope they do everything I’ve heard they do – but even if they don’t work – they make great night lights!

I just put out my dish of ACV with dish soap, he he he… Can’t wait to check it later!

p.s. I’ve tried coffee grounds but it didn’t seem to help. I do use a good all-natural plant food now, though, hopefully that will help. Maybe I should bring my fussy herbs upstairs by this slider so they’re warmer…

Thanks for being our guest for a day. We are honored that you accepted the invitation. I wanted you to know that we really enjoyed the time away, alone just the two of us, abiding in each other without having to fret over other responsibilities.

Welcome! I’m Kelly, a homeschooling Mom from Michigan, and I've been busy sharing real food recipes and shining light on the truth since 2007. I hope you’ll stick around and become one of my reader friends so we can help each other along this journey toward better health and a better life! Read more...

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